46dems/Demogram/200803
Notes about the caucuses I was watching the Academy Awards the other night and realized their voting system is far more democratic than our primary system. How is it possible that Hollywood has beat us in the sanity department? Do away with caucuses! Do away with superdelegates! Kim Wells I thought it was ridiculous that we did not have a fully open absentee system for people who work on Saturday, or otherwise couldn't make it to the caucus, and I'm going to be pushing for one to be implemented in 2012. I do want every Democrat and every Progressive in Washington State to be able to vote in the Democratic Primary. But I also want to know that people actually support our platform before they help us chose our candidates. … I would fully support voter registration by party in Washington. And for more food for thought http://www.washblog.com/story/2008/2/27/101443/132 Chad Lupkes I have a lot of mixed feelings about the caucus. It was exciting, exhilarating even. We made a lot of new members and a lot of money. But let’s remember what this country is trying to replace! This isn’t going to happen every election (unless, of course, McCain gets in). 250,000 people showed up at the caucuses. 674,000 plus DEMOCRATS VOTED IN THE PRIMARY! Which, to any of you, is the more democratic process? (515,000 plus Republicans voted*) * http://vote.wa.gov/elections/wei/VoterTurnout.aspx?ElectionID=0 Barbara Whitt I had a grand time at my caucus - and I didn't expect to do so. When it came time for the "1-minute speeches" before the second tally, I spoke for Obama and someone else spoke for Senator Clinton and then I was about to call for the tally. They stopped me. I was surprised, since so many of them had asked me how long it would last, and I assumed people wanted to just get it over with and get out of there. They didn't. Reasonable, interesting discussion ensued for the next 20 minutes or so. I had appointed two tally keepers - one from each camp, so that the results would be accepted by all. They were. These people are my precinct. They are my neighbors. Now, when I am out working in my yard or splitting wood, some of these people walking by with their dogs might recognize me. Now, when I call someone who lives in the apartments over on 15th and Pinehurst, someone might remember me. With the move to all-mail voting, there simply aren't many venues left where community gets together. And the smallest political unit of all, the precinct, will have no other time to meet face to face and talk about the issues that concern them. So I thought the caucus served a very important purpose indeed - besides selecting the candidates. The thing is I doubt that many would have showed up if they had not known that this was their only chance to make their vote count. And so they came. I agree that there is a problem in fairness to those who cannot make it. I think it's possible that the absentee system was made as stringent as it is so that people could not use it just so they could stay home and watch TV or go skiing (as one of my neighbors did, but she's really a Republican - supporting Obama, but a Republican all the same). I really believe that "face time" with our community is important - and on a different level than me or a candidate at an individual door. So, I don't know what the answer is. I tended to agree with Chad's argument at the meeting. But I don't know how to answer those insisting that the process be more inclusive. We could make it more technically inclusive, but take the chance that more people would personally exclude themselves from actually attending. I just wanted to put in a plug for the caucus. The little precinct caucus itself. Mine was a joy to be part of. Barbara Stoner The only thing I'm sure of is that we Democrats need to do something to improve our system because there are too many people who think we're doing it wrong. I had a great experience at my caucus site and got SO MANY comments from participants about how they felt the caucus process was really good because they did get to discuss issues and candidates with their neighbors and they did feel it was very democratic. But I agree that many people were not able to participate and that is a problem that really has to be addressed. Margaret Shield I actually thought that the republicans got it right, in terms of delegate selection, in this state. I heartily second Barbara’s (which Barbara? Or we could just edit it to “other views”) view of the caucuses, they have been tremendous experiences and superb community building vehicles, but they disenfrancise members, often already disenfrachised members of the community. So, split allocation of delegates between the caucus and primary. Jim Mullins I had an exhilarating experience at the caucus -- loved meeting with my neighbors! However, caucuses exclude way too many people who have the interest, but not the wherewithal, to attend. How we can tout ourselves as the party that best represents workers and the economically disadvantaged -- -- and yet set up a system that tends to disenfranchise them? So I support a primary, with reasonable party control over who can vote in that primary. A possible hybrid: Choose the number of delegates via a primary and the actual delegates (individuals) through a caucus. Yes, fewer people would attend the caucus, but it would promote the neighborhood and community building that so many appreciate about the caucus, including me -- without the disenfranchisement. Bev Marcus As difficult as they caucuses can be to run and I would agree that there needs to be a way to do a proxy vote etc (maybe allow people to come in and vote the day before or something?) however, I have come to like the caucus and I actually think it is a great way to pick a candidate for the PARTY primary. I also think it allows more candidates a shot at the nomination Just look at how this year has played out, Hillary did well in primary states because she has more name recognition, Obama did WAY better in the states that had caucuses, and I believe a lot of his success is because people were TALKING to each other about the issues. I for one would rather pick a candidate based on the issues then their last name. Superdelegates suck and if they decide the nomination I am possibly walking away for good. Alyssa Plut